Yorkshire Building Society & FareShare – Building Skills for the Future .
In 2023, FareShare was chosen as Yorkshire Building Society’s (YBS) Charity Partner until 2026, aiming to raise £1 million to support an employability programme that will help people enter the world of work.
“Many people are struggling with cost of living increases and worrying about finding a job or losing the one they have. Our partnership with YBS aims to help upskill them with employment and financial skills and ultimately help to lift them out of financial hardship.”
In seven of our 34 regional centres across London, Bristol, Milton Keynes, Merseyside, Yorkshire, Edinburgh and Cardiff, FareShare’s Building Skills for the Future programme is already reaping rewards for people across the country who need help to overcome obstacles into work. Over 500 people will have the opportunity to attend programmes providing between 12 and 26 weeks of support, including work experience, vocational training and coaching support to develop important skills such as CV writing, job searching and improving financial wellbeing.
In addition, two outreach programmes, based in Yorkshire and the Midlands, will deliver workshops to around 2,000 people covering financial inclusion, employment skills and personal wellbeing.
Through these employability and outreach programmes, YBS and FareShare can make a real difference to communities across the UK, particularly to those facing barriers to gaining and sustaining employment. One of the programme’s early success stories is that of 25-year-old James Holmes from Merseyside.
James graduated with a first- class degree in Moving Image Production and sought work in the media but struggled to cope with the demands of busy and loud work environments. Joining the Merseyside employability programmehas resulted in a huge boost in James’ confidence. Gaining work experience in the warehouse, vocational training, and through personalised one-to-one support, James recently secured his first job in theatre and is one step closer to his dream of becoming a cameraman.
“I learned just how important it was to follow instructions from managers, but also how to work in a team and the importance of teamwork, something I hadn’t done before.”
With one in four people of working age currently out of employment, both YBS and FareShare know how important it is to provide individuals with the skills to access employment, helping them to overcome financial difficulties and food insecurity.
“Our employability programme is anchored by taking time getting to know each person’s abilities, wishes and skills so we can best direct them onto a possible career path, in the food industry and beyond.”
Over the course of our two year partnership, YBS will support FareShare with fundraising and cause collections across its branch network and through volunteering opportunities across the charity’s regional centres. Colleagues from the Society will also use transferrable skills to deliver employability sessions and financial resilience lessons as part of the outreach programme.#
Together, we aim to empower people with the skills and knowledge they need to overcome financial hardship and build their own brighter future.
